Rushock Bog
by coconut994777
Summary: The day before the Baggins' annual Yule Party, Frodo stays out in the dark at Rushock Bog. He finds himself in a terrifying situation, and meets one of Bilbo's old friends. Hurt/Comfort/Angsty/Fluffy/AU. *


* UPDATED * This is partially based on two fanfics, "Look Through My Eyes" by Chloe3 and "Quarantined" by shirebound. I suggest reading both, because they are phenomenal!

OK, so, I decided that I should update an unfinished fic, and chose this one because I've been on a kick for Frodo fics with Aragorn. I have updated this one and another chapter will be coming shortly.

MUSIC SELECTION: "Winter's Eve" from Nox Arcana. You can get a few of the songs and a medley on their website.

Note: As this is a bit of a healerfic, and some of this info is true and some of it is not. Medical info was researched.

* * *

It had been snowing lightly for much of the day. After decorating Bag End for his uncle's Yule celebration, Frodo asked if he could go play in the forest with his dear friend Sam Gamgee. "Please Bilbo? It will not get dark for another hour or two, it isn't even 5 yet!" Frodo begged. Bilbo looked at his tween-aged nephew.

"All right, but be sure to dress warmly, and be back for supper!" He said, while sweeping the kitchen floor. "And don't forget to..." he heard the front door of Bag End close, and turned to the window to see Frodo racing down Bagshot Row. "...dress warmly." Frodo dashed down to the Gamgee's, to find Sam waiting right outside.

"Are you ready?" He asked Samwise, who was bundled head to toe, and responded with a muffled:

"Yes."

The two made their way out towards the small forest on the opposite side of The Hill from Hobbiton. They traveled up the stream, admiring how beautifully it had frozen over, locking everything under the water in place. They shook the snow off of the trees and used it to throw little balls of snow at each other.

Soon, they began to skate across the stream, spinning in circles on the frozen water. They skated down the stream, until the stream began to spread out amongst weeds and frozen mud.

"Hey, Mr. Frodo," Sam said worriedly.

"Yes Sam?" Frodo said while twirling about on the ice.

"I think we should head home soon, its starting to get dark, and if this is Rushock Bog, then we've gone farther than we should've..."

Frodo stood still, and then looked at the sky. It had gotten much darker than he thought. "You go ahead Sam, I haven't got as far to walk, even if this is Rushock."

"But Mr. Frodo, you've heard stories about Rushock! Didn't you hear about…"

Frodo interrupted. "Well sure I have, the ones about being stuck in the water and freezing to death, or being eaten alive or just barely by wolves. But Sam, they're just old hobbit-wives' tales, absolute myth. Plus, its all frozen over, I'm just going to collect some evergreen branches to make a wreath when I get back." he said, as he started to pick up some branches. "Are you coming to our Yule party tomorrow?" He asked intently.

"I asked the Old Gaffer and he's looking forward to it. It starts at noon, right?" Sam asked.

"Yup, you can come early if you wish. Bilbo gets very upset when those who are invited arrive late. At other parties, I've heard him cursing for being late by just a few seconds!" The two of them laughed. They said their goodbyes, and Sam started to walk home. Frodo knelt down in the snow and grabbed a few more branches. Then, something caught his eye.

A holly plant was growing not but a few steps away from him. How Bilbo would love such a thing! He turned quickly on the ice to go get some, but slipped forward on the ice and knocked his head on it as he fell.

When Frodo awoke, it was almost pitch black. Frodo stood up quickly, causing him to feel queasy, and looked for a patch of solid ground. His sat down for a second, breathing heavily from the cold, and heard a group of breaths to his side, and saw a small group of wolves, he guessed about five, sniffing around. He stood absolutely still, except for shivering from the cold.

Quickly, one turned toward him, as he looked out into the distance. He was always told to never make eye contact with a wild animal. The hound growled and began to advance slowly. Suddenly, Frodo sneezed. The group of wolves charged toward him, and he screamed in terror. They tore at his jacket and scarf, they had pinned him down in an instant. He took his free arm, and grabbed a knife that he brought with him. Bilbo gave it to him for his birthday last year, for instances like these. Then, he noticed a wolf had reached the flesh of his other arm.

After the wolf's jaw came down, he swung the knife. He didn't mean to hurt any of them, but the knife hit the wolf who bit his arm on the nose. Frodo breathed unevenly as he lay on the ground, now trying to fight the extreme cold and pain, the sword gripped tightly in his shaking hand.. They slowly walked away, and he began to caress his arm once they were gone. He was lost. He didn't know which direction to go, and he felt like he was going to pass out at any second.

Then, he heard, what he thought was footsteps. They sounded like they were running, toward him. It was one of the big folks, a man, or was it an elf? He felt as if he would pass out at any moment.

"Help..." it was quieter than he anticipated, but he could see the person heard it. The man got closer, and then balanced himself as he walked on the frozen water to where Frodo was now lying in pain. The man kneeled down next to Frodo. His clothing was dark, along with his hair and rugged beard. But something seemed light about him. Frodo guessed he was in some way an elf, but passed out before he could ask the man who he was.

* * *

The ranger heard a scream coming from the middle part of the swamp where he was searching for a missing hobbit, the nephew of a friend. He ran as fast as he could to where he heard the scream. As he got closer, he heard a faint cry for help, and saw a small figure, sitting on a hill across a stretch of frozen water. The hobbit passed out once Aragorn reached him.

His clothes were torn at, and his pale arm was exposed and bleeding from what looked to be bite marks of a wolf. From the description given by his friend, he had a strong feeling this was a hobbit he was searching for. He gently wrapped the bite on the hobbit's arm, and carried him back home, as the hobbit lay unconscious in his arms.

* * *

Frodo felt himself being carried as he awakened, by the man who had found him. The man smelt of leather and pipe-weed.

He was still a bit cold, and the bite's pain still throbbed, and he felt very weak. But, he noticed that the bite was wrapped, and the man walked very carefully as to not jostle him. "Who are you?" he asked in a whispered voice.

* * *

The man looked down at the young hobbit who spoke to him. "I am a friend of your uncle's, a ranger," he paused, thinking of how mysterious he must've sounded to the tween. "and a friend."He looked at the boy's face, pale and innocent, but had a strange elf-like quality. The boy's eyes were also a marvel, so deep and filled with a bright blue. "What is your name, young hobbit?"

"Frodo." He said, barely audible. Still feeling weak, Frodo managed to keep his eyes on the man's face, but just barely. Then, as he tried move his arm a little, a quick jolt of pain rushed through his body. He winced, and started to cough. He shuddered as a cold breeze quickly swept through the forest. Frodo looked back down at the ground and laid his head on the man's chest for protection against the strong winds. He was exhausted, and felt how late in the night it was from the darkness surrounding the two. He slowly closed his weary eyes, and fell asleep.

It was maybe an hour or two before they reached Bag End, and the ranger knocked on its bright green door. As it opened, a middle-aged, sleep-deprived hobbit stepped out, and covered his hands over his mouth in a gasp of relief. The hobbit swung the door open a bit more so the man could come inside.

"Strider, I've been sitting next to the window, barely blinking while I waited for you. Its a blessing you were in the area," Bilbo said, his voice shaky, still nervous from all the anticipation and worry. He looked at his young nephew as he walked the man to Frodo's room. "How does he fare?" His face grew completely serious.

The ranger looked back at his, in complete sincerity. "He looked terrible when I reached him, his clothes torn as you can still see." He stepped into the small hobbit-sizes room, and placed Frodo on his bed. "I heard some howling in the distance, and when I saw his arm..." he gently unwrapped the now bloodstained cloth on the hobbit's arm to reveal the bite marks. Bilbo let out a gasp, and feeling weak, he sat down in the chair next to Frodo's nightstand. "But he must've been very brave, he was able to drive them away before I had arrived." Strider took out a bag with medicines and healing supplies.

Bilbo stared at his nephew. "So he does carry it with him..."

Strider turned to his old friend. "What does he carry?"

Bilbo laughed in disbelief, and his eyes became red. "I gave him a knife a while ago, because I promised he could have one to go on an adventure with me one day." A tear slid down his cheek. "But I never thought he'd ever really use it, he doesn't attack something except in defense."

Strider put a hand on the old hobbit's shoulder. "He saved himself from being eaten alive by wolves, my friend. He must've been very brave, for I saw at least three or four individual wolf tracks."

Bilbo nodded. "Why don't I heat up some tea, both of you need it." He stood up and walked quietly into the kitchen.

Strider took out a small bottle, poured some of its contents onto some cloth, and gently patted the cloth onto the bite. He heard Frodo take a deep breath in, as Strider continued to disinfect the bite. Frodo eyes slowly fluttered open, and he stared at the ceiling.

Frodo woke up feeling dizzy and had an enormous headache. He felt a sharp pain on his arm as the man dabbed a cloth with a liquid of some sort on it onto the bite.

"How are you feeling?" The man said.

Frodo took in another deep breath, still cold from being stuck in the cold. "C-c-cold, and m-my h-h-head hu-urts." He winced in pain as the liquid worked deeper into the wound. Finally, as the man wrapped the bite once again, he turned his head to the man. "Wh-What is-s your n-n-n-name?" he asked.

"He is Aragorn, a dear friend of mine and Gandalf's." Bilbo said, coming in with two steaming cups of tea. He placed both on the end table next to Frodo's bed. "When you didn't return home by almost sundown I went out to look for you, Frodo-lad. But thankfully, Aragorn is a ranger and my friend, and asked to help look for you so I could go home and rest." We winked at Aragorn.

"Th-thank you, a...ah…ACHOO!" Frodo let out a large sneeze. He sniffled and then turned to Aragorn as he reached for the warm tea. "You probably saved my life out there, I..."

"Think nothing of it," The ranger said to him. "It is what I do, why I travel so often, and Bilbo is indeed one of the most intriguing persons I met, let alone hobbits. It was a pleasure helping an old friend." He smiled back toward Bilbo, then turned back to the younger hobbit. "You need sleep to recover from your day, I suggest going straight to sleep once you finish that tea. Bilbo and I will be in the parlor, if you need us."

Frodo nodded. They left him to talk in the parlor, he gulped down his tea, and then made plans for the Yule party the next day.

The two friends sat down in the parlor. Luckily, since Bilbo received large guests often, he had a large chair that he pulled up next to the fireplace next to his.

"He is very tired Bilbo, and he does not show it near you but is very weak and possibly a bit traumatized after such an experience..." Aragorn said to the old hobbit.

Bilbo nodded. "No, you're right, I can tell. I adopted him quite a few years ago, and have grown to recognize how he feels even when he hides it as best he can." he sighed, sinking deeper into his chair. "Tell me, I know he has a slight sniffle, but is there any chance that he..."

Aragorn knew how the old hobbit was going to finish that sentence, and shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly do not know, Bilbo. I cleaned the wound as swiftly as I could, but I will stay until tomorrow to make sure he doesn't possess any more symptoms. With luck, it will all happen within a day or two, or so I've learned from encounters with wolves in this area." He looked at the blazing fire, as it crackled and popped.

Bilbo let out another long sigh. "I am afraid I will have to cancel the Yule party tomorrow then." Then, he almost seemed cheerful. "I could use a winter without seeing that dreaded Lobelia Sackville-Baggins...


End file.
